With a number of star names in action on day four at the WTA Stuttgart Open, there should be no shortage of excitement. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Tamara Korpatsch vs Emma Raducanu. But who will book their place in the last eight in Stuttgart?
WTA Stuttgart Day 4 Predictions
Bianca Andreescu vs Aryna Sabalenka
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 1-0 Andreescu
If both players are at their best, or even close to it, this should be some match. Of course, regrettably, there is no guarantee that either will be. It has been a disappointing season so far for Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarussian lost narrowly in the fourth round at the Australian Open to Kaia Kanepi and has struggled to build any momentum since. Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, played her first match since October in her opener in Stuttgart, but looked relatively sharp in beating Jule Niemeier. If she can build on that performance, she may well have enough to get past an out-of-sorts Sabalenka.
Prediction: Andreescu in 3
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Ludmilla Samsonova vs Karolina Pliskova
Head-to-head: Pliskova 1-0 Samsonova
Ludmilla Samsonova made some start to her week at the WTA Stuttgart, thrashing France’s Chloe Pacquet 6-0 6-0. But one suspects that she will face more resistance up against sixth seed Karolina Pliskova. Pliskova, a former world #1, returned to action for the first time since last season’s WTA Finals during the Sunshine Double, but lost in the first round in Indian Wells and Miami. She got back to winning ways against her compatriot Petra Kvitova, digging out a 6-4 4-6 7-6 win. But she is still short of match sharpness and may well be in for a tough day at the office against the in-form Samsonova.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
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Anett Kontaveit vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: Kontaveit 2-0 Alexandrova
Anett Kontaveit is another player who has not been at their best so far in 2022. The Estonian has enjoyed some successes, not least a run to the title in St Petersburg and to the final in Doha, but it is hard to escape the feeling that she could have achieved more this season. Still, if she can continue to apply herself as she did in her 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Angelique Kerber in the first round it should be a successful clay-court swing for the Estonian. She may have her work cut out for her against Ekaterina Alexandrova, who reached the last four in Charleston and beat Shuai Zhang in the first round, but Kontaveit is the better player of the two. Expect that to be reflected in the scoreline.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
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